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Professional Background and Education Natalie has over ten years of multi-sector marketing and management experience working with a broad range of clients and stakeholders, from state and local governments, nonprofit organizations and grassroots campaigns to Fortune 500 companies and international universities. Specializing in strategic planning, communications and social marketing, she enjoys and excels in helping organizations adapt and grow in a changing world--from creating new alliances and tapping new global markets to integrating sustainable business practices and corporate social responsibility. She has had the privilege of working with a range of customers, including IBM, Fleet Bank, U.S. Department of Education, Office of the Attorney General in Massachusetts, The National Conference for Community and Justice and the Atlanta City Council. Currently, Natalie is a director in Marketing, Strategy and Business Development at MassMutual Financial Group, a top-ranked Fortune 500 company, headquartered in Springfield, Massachusetts. In 2000, Natalie was selected as a recipient of the "Who's Who Among Outstanding Asian Americans in Massachusetts" award for her contributions and leadership in the business and civic arenas. She has a bachelor's degree from Vassar College and a master's degree from Harvard University in management and public policy. Current Community Involvement
For more information about my background and experience see: Personal Background- In Her Own Words I grew up in Smyrna, Georgia as the third and youngest daughter of Margaret and Edward Keng. My parents immigrated to the U.S. in 1961, to attend graduate school. As one of the few Asian families in Atlanta, my sisters and I learned quickly about the meaning of being Chinese-American---about "being different," the importance of family and cultural values and the opportunity of living the American dream. When we were young, my parents penalized us a nickel for every English word spoken in the house! It was their desperate attempt to help us speak Chinese and to maintain some connection to Chinese culture against the backdrop of our American-styled lives. We had our football pep rallies and Atari computer games. My father listened to Johnny Cash tunes, liked Ponderosa Steakhouse and took me fishing. My mother worked full-time as a fifth-grade teacher and hosted Chinese dodge ball tournaments in our driveway after school. I joked how she ate more often with a fork than with chopsticks ("it's faster") and whipped up favorite dinners like pepper steak, fries and salad or ginger fish and mac n' cheese ("who has time to make dumplings?"). With their help, we managed to balance (and excel) across the worlds of high school proms and eggrolls. Despite our protestations, however, the Chinese-only language policy held firm. Fortunately for me, their efforts were successful. Being able to speak Chinese meant more than being bilingual; it opened the door not only to learning about my own heritage, despite never having lived in China, but also the opportunity to share my "other half" to friends and colleagues. People often ask me where I get my "passion" and the "high enthusiasm and energy" in balancing a full career and multiple community activities. I can sum it up this way: From my parents, I learned to be adventurous, confident and optimistic, and about the true meaning of being an American. From my sisters, Pearl and Leigh, I learned to choose my own path, trust intuition and be a strong woman. From my close friends and colleagues, I have learned to take life less seriously and to treasure the simpler pleasures, like taking a walk in the woods after a spring rain.
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